22 He putteth his mouth in the duſt, if ſo be there may be hope z.
z If [ber] may be ſupplied, or 7when] ( as Pagnine tranlateth
} rhe connex1on of theſe word: with the former, is very
be repeated in the beginning of Yey. 28, and 29. However hoth this aad the former Verſes, ler us know the Duty of Perſons under Afffi- Qions in order to thetr ob-aining Mercy at the Hand of God, and admirably give us the CharaRer of Perſons under afflitions pre- paring for Mercy, They hope, and quietly wait for God's Salua- tion, Ver, 26. they bear God's yoke, Ver. 27. becauſe he hath lain It upon them. They ſit alone and beep ſilence, Ver. 28. and here they pur ther moths in the duſt, that 15, humble themſelves to tne feer of God, and to the Will of God ; not being too confi- _ of deliverances in this Life, bur if peradventure there may e hops. |
30 He giveth h:s cheek to him that ſiniteth him & : he is filled full with reproach. |
k According to our Saviour's Precept, Matth. 5. 39. he doth not rake any private Revenge. He 1s reproached and reviled, bur when he 1s ſo he yeuileth not again, 1 Per. 2. 23. He is filled with reproach from orhers, but his mouth is not filled with the re- proachings of others.
31 For the LORD will not caſt off for ever mz.
1 This 15 that which bearerh up his Spirirs,that though the Lord may for a time eſtrange himſelf from his people, yer he will nor always forſake them,
32 But though he cauſe grief, yet will he have compaſtion according to the multitude of his mer- Cles 7.
2 But though as a prudent Parent he may ſee reaſon to cauſe grief in, and ro affli& his own People, yer as a render good Fa- ther, that pitieth his Children in Miſery he will have compaſſion apon them, having not only Mercies, bur a multitude or abun- dance of Mercies. .
33 For * he doth not affli&t+ willingly, nor grieve, Ezck, 3 11,
the children of men 0.
0 Inthe Hevrew nt 1s, he doth not affli&t from his heart, that is | with pleaſure and delight; or (which ſeemerh the beſt ſenſe to me) j
nor from his own meer motion withour a cauſe given him from the Perſons afflifted. Hence Judgment is called God's [range work. Shewing Mercy 15 his proper natural Work, which floweth from
{ himſelf wirhour any cauſe in the Creature 3 Judgment is his {range
work to which he never proceedeth but when provoked, and as ir were forced from the Creature, whence it followeth, that he can- not delight 1n 1t.
34 To cruſh under his feet all tfe Priſoners of the
earth p-
35 To turn away the right.of a man before the} Or, 4: p:Yioar,
face of || the moſt High 9.
36 To ſubverta man in his cauſe, the LORD || ap-|| Or, ſb
Heb, from bi eart,
proveth not 7. nuts
pþ Here are three things mentioned, of all which it is ſaid, thar God approveth them nor, neither all, nor any of them. Ths firſt 15 to cruſh the priſoners of the earth; he hath power to cruſh all men in the World, they are his Priſoners, and cannot fly from him, but he delighteth nor in it ; ſome think ir ſpoken with ſpecial refe- rence to the Jews who now were all Captives. q A ſecond thing which it 1s ſaid God approverh nor, is turning away the right of a mar before the face of the moſt High. Some, by the moſt High un- derſtand Goa, and make the ſenſe tro be, in the ſzght of God. Others think rhat a Superiour Magiſtrate is underſtood, who Eccleſ. 5.8. 1s called the Higheſt; and that ſeemeth the moſt probable ſenſe. The turning away the right of a Man before them, ſignifi- eth the uſe of any Arts ro deprive them of their juſt Right by miſ- repreſenting their Cauſe, aſperſing their Perſons, &#c. r The third thing mentioned 1s the ſubverting 4 man in his cauſe, either by Art, and Rhetrorick, making ir to appear bad when ir isnot ſo, or by meer Will and Power over-ruling it contrary to Right and Ju-
ice.
37 Whois he * that faith, and it cometh to* P - $9.5
paſs, when the LORD commandeth zt not. s. s The ſence of theſe words 15 doubred by none, That nothing cometh ro paſs in the World but by the diſpoſal of Divine Provi-
ſ{trumentality of ſecond cauſes, or permitting it : But ro whar end tmeſe words are brought in this place, is not ſo generally agreed. Some think they are broughr in to check the Blaſ phemy of ſome thar ſpake of what had befallen the J?ws as a thing which God had no hand 1n, Others think they are brought in as expounding that term that went before, The Lord ſeeth not, Tho? God doth nor approve of ſinful ations, nor incline any Man's Heart or Will to them, yer God nath an hand in the permiſſion of the moſt cruel and unjuſt actions, which he could eafily hinder. I ſhould rather incline co in- terpret themas an Argument brought by the Prophet in the Name
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of the People of God, arguing themſelves inro 4 quiet ſubmiſſion | to the aflidive Providences under which they laboured from we confiderarion of the Superiour hand of God in them,as Chritt rold Pilate, Thou couldſt nat have had any power againſt me, 1f it had not
The Lamentations of FER EMIAH
1
49 Mineezetrickleth down,and ceafeth not, with- out any intermiſſion g ;
& The Proptter was deeply affeRed upon the proſpe2 of this evi] before 1t came, Jr. 9. 1..and_ was now much more affected
bzen given the from above : Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it, Amos 3. 0. - |
38 Ourtofthe mouth of the moſt High proceedeth not * evil and good 7. ! |
t In the H:5 the form of theſe words is interrogatoryzas muc' as if he ſhould ſay, Doth nat evilcome our of God's Mouth from his Direfion and Command, from his Providence, as well as good? He ſpezks of evils of puniſhments, judicial affl;&ive Diſpen- {ations ; ſo it agreeth with [9 2, 10, Amos 3.6. Iris no reproach unto God to make him te Aurhor of his own Puniſhments, tho we call chem evil. T :
39 * Wherefore doth a living man || complains ! a man for the puriſhmeat of his ſins w ?